


Wedding Elegy

by TwilightsDawn



Series: Death and Cats Universe [3]
Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Angst and Humor, Cats and lots of them, Death has a dark sense of humor, Fluff, I Will Go Down With This Ship, M/M, Marriage, Tom loves loki, Worldbuilding
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-09-10
Updated: 2020-11-15
Packaged: 2021-03-06 19:26:54
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 3
Words: 21,103
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26384104
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TwilightsDawn/pseuds/TwilightsDawn
Summary: Harry just wants to get married, but it's a mess, most things in his life tends to be even with well-meaning intentions. Well-meaning intentions that seem to have failed miserably. Tom was right, they should have just tied the knot overseas in one of those cliche secret types of weddings. Probably would have saved him the trouble of encountering his death date again at the end of 1999 surrounded by people that have their own political agenda and reasons for attending his wedding.(sequel piece to The Red Cobblestone Road)
Relationships: Harry Potter/Tom Riddle, Harry Potter/Tom Riddle | Voldemort, Harry Potter/Voldemort, Remus Lupin/Nymphadora Tonks, Sirius Black & Severus Snape
Series: Death and Cats Universe [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1876519
Comments: 27
Kudos: 137





	1. Homecoming

**Author's Note:**

> I didn't think that I would be writing this, for all extensive purposes I had intended to leave my last work ambiguous at best and lacking perhaps repercussions for falling in love with a Dark Lord with a past. But writing my shorts told me that I am not ready to let things be. I'm not happy with leaving an implied happy ending alone. So here we go... 
> 
> WELCOME BACK!

Egypt is a blistering inferno, but Harry loves it. He loves the way that the sand shifts into different shapes. He loves the mix of Muggle and Magical culture collide. He likes the ancient buildings, runes, and food. Part of him just wants to never return home. There is just too much to see and do, but the older, much more rational side of him tells him that there is just too much work that needs to be done at home. They can not just disappear off the face of the earth, even though the idea keeps coming to him as they are laying in their cool hotel room, with cooling spells making it a little chilly. Tom's draped around him still sound asleep, Harry can feel his soft breaths tickling his ear. He can almost forget that they are headed home in 2 days. 

Almost... 

Tom stirs next to him and Harry reaches up a hand to brush his dark curls to the side. Brown eyes greet him with that movement. They always look at him with something soft, that for most people and things he knows that Tom is incapable of showing. Harry is his weakness, his love, and soon to be husband. Tom blinks heavy eyelids and rubs his face into Harry's hair.

"Good morning." He mumbles. 

"Morning..." Harry greets just as softly back. He should be wanting to do something other than look at the other. He has seen his face hundreds of times, and from different angles. For some reason, Harry can not help but want to. It's strange that it feels safe to be held like this and magical even if it has happened for years and on many occasions. Perhaps it's the context of it, that they are taking their relationship towards its natural conclusion of becoming one even in the eyes of the law. 

"What's the plan today?" He needs some sort of distraction. He isn't sure what, but if he continues looking at Tom like that... his Tom he is going to do something stupid. 

Tom pulls him closer as he has moved just slightly to sit up. "Sleep." 

"And then what?" Harry snorts.

"Sleep," Tom repeats, in a half yawn. 

"Sleep all day? This is very unlike you." Harry raises an eyebrow trying to catch those brown eyes again, but they are closed again. He wants to be lazy. Tom is never that word, he is always up to something or planning something at the very least. But it seems that the former Dark Lord has nothing else on his mind but laying there in a half daze. 

"We haven't had any time to really relax. It has been a trip of near nonstop go." Tom mutters, his other arm snaking under Harry so that both arms are locking him in place at his side. It's true they have been to as much as they could see in the 2 weeks that they have been traveling quickly from place to place. Not to say that he has not enjoyed it. As a person that used to be unable to sit still, and still is in a few ways. He has loved it greatly. 

"That's what you get for taking me somewhere with a lot to see and do." Harry defends, shifting Tom's heavy head off of his so that he can look at the other. 

"I just want to relax the last two, take it slow, before we head back into the country, and are run over by both work and the press." Tom kisses his neck as he has an opening, and because Harry has made sure that his head is off-limits to lay on. "I don't get enough of you to myself."

"Not to mention the few people that we know, will want to see the ring." Harry lets out a deep breath of air as Tom teases with another light kiss. "Don't tease me." 

"I'm not." His silky voice whispers in his ear, fingers gently brushing his side. 

"Tom," Harry warns. 

"Fine." Tom releases him to lay flat against the bed. "I get it you're not in the mood." 

"It's not that I'm not in the mood, it's just..."

"Not now." Tom sighs. "It's fine Harry." 

And Harry knows that it would be, they have just started this intimacy. It's experimental, new, and Harry is just coming to terms with it really. He has never done much more than kiss until Tom of course proposed to him and one thing led to another and then they both suddenly needed to know what every inch of skin on the other looked like. It was much different than just admiring each other getting dressed, or gentle touches, or deep kisses. It's a new world of bizarre to him, and that fact that he seems to like those sorts of things, being touched, is certainly new to Tom as well. Tom seems a bit greedy perhaps with the sensations. He supposes that it's good to be wanted. 

"More like I want to be able to walk and do things." Harry sits up, finally free in order to do so. 

Tom snorts at that, his lips curled up into one of those rare and truly beautiful smiles. "If we followed my lead of doing absolutely nothing then it wouldn't matter." 

"We don't have any more potions for that sort of thing, and I will brew some when we're at home. Godric knows I don't want Sirius to hear about me going to the store for that sort of thing."

"Harry, he probably has suspected we got up to things, the whole wizarding world probably does. You are delusional if you think that they don't."

Harry felt his face heat. "Let's just get breakfast." He deflects. 

~/*\~

Tom loves this new world that has been opened up to him. He can look back 4 years ago and remember when it was all just a ruse, an excuse to be close together at nearly all times. It had been his clever spur of the moment sort of play to both annoy Dumbledore and to cement himself as someone close to Harry. That is all that he wanted at the time, to seem important, and untouchable. The alternative without magic was to hide, go unnoticed, for the rest of his days, and he has never been a fan of hiding. Invulnerability was already granted to him in the way of Harry already bringing him back from the dead, stealing documents for him to exist, and by vouching for him at every turn. It would and should have been enough. A good head start, that once he had a bit of magic he could leave. Harry though was like an addictive drug, he was saturated with power which he could not claim is not part of his attraction, but it is not all of it. He truly loves Harry with all that he is capable of for his kindness, his stubbornness, and his forgiveness. Tom should have just been happy with him as a loyal friend at his side. He had never truly had one. But Tom would be the first to admit that he had always been greedy, pushed things past their probable and normal conclusion. He had made the first move by telling him he was fond of him.

Oh, the irony of that statement now, he was more than fond and Harry no longer looked even remotely uncomfortable with the thought. It's comforting and it's his sole redemption. Harry loves him and that is all that mattered. Well, that and having a fulfilling purpose to give his time to. He never dreamed any of this would happen to him, that he would have a near to completed soul, a small-time job, love... It all still feels impossible like a good dream that he will wake up from and be still a wraith or something similar. He will be lost to the monster that he had been splitting his soul and murdering all that dared to even look at him strangely. Things never went according to his plans or schemes as Harry called them and he is glad that Harry was his foil. No one else would have done such things for him.

He is grateful beyond measure that he has had another chance, another go at everything. No one like him really deserved it, nor the happiness that came with it. Being nearly complete he can feel some remorse over it all, some guilt, that always surfaced at the strangest of moments. Especially if Harry made a comment about his old life, or missing his parents. He would feel it if he looked at Sirius too long on the bad days where he seemed to be stuck reliving Azkaban or thinking about how he wasn't there for Harry when he needed him. When in another timeline Sirius would have been the one to save Harry from a trap that he himself had made.

As he has aged and dare say it matured, he has liked the idea more and more of simplicity. Harry had introduced him to that concept and he had taken it to heart. He does not need to rule the wizarding world. Such a task now that he is running a department at the ministry feels like it would be impossible. He does not need all the wealth in the world because all that would do would be sit in bank vaults never to see the sun. He only needs what he is going to use for the few good moments in life. Such as watching Harry eat some Beid Bel Basterma. The eggs cooked in ghee are quickly becoming something that he can see Harry trying to have Kreacher or himself whip up. 

Their relationship cannot be as public around Muggles. They are meant to look like two stupid college kids having fun and sleeping in a room that has a bed and a sofa bed. It has to stay that way, unfortunately. So He can't kiss Harry even though he wants to. He can't kiss that wonderful red face as Harry is making a bit of a mess and catches his eye every so often.

People were not as accepting here as they were in their country of origin, and even there he has found some looks. He is sure that their wedding was going to turn some heads. While more accepted in the Wizarding World, it's still not the norm. He doesn't want to see the papers, it's one thing to have dates and be considered a couple. It's another thing entirely to marry, especially older houses. Harry and him will never have children. So the lineage of both Gaunt and Potter would die with them, and if they adopted that child would not truly be of their blood. Parseltongue would die out with them. Which he feels is a great loss to the world, but perhaps a necessary one. He knows far too many darker spells that involve it. It's not an evil language but there is certainly darkness that dwells in it. Yes, they are going to be in quite the scandal especially when they start making their invitations. 

He still thinks that they should just have a small ceremony with just the two of them and forget everyone else. He asked Sirius like a traditional pureblood would have, and Sirius had just laughed. 

He pokes his egg, taking a small bite. Harry is looking at him with concerned eyes and he smiles nicely to assure him that he is just thinking and there is nothing that he needs to worry about. He sighs when the other looks away softly to himself. 

In his not so humble opinion the only person that he respected and liked enough that was close to the both of them had approved and thus nothing else really mattered. They could have Harry's few friends over for a dinner party and announce their marriage there. But no, Harry wouldn't have it. He wants a small wedding that he invites all his remaining family and friends to. He wants to use their marriage as a way to try and breach gaps. He really can't hate him though for being so Slytherin about it. Connections were important after all. More so with some of the upcoming elections and with a couple of suggestions that Harry had made to the Muggle-born inclusion act. 

He just would much rather not play that type of host when it is to be his wedding day. Call him a hypocrite but he doesn't really want to turn his special day, that he never saw himself having, into something that could go horribly wrong and depending on the invite explosive due to political and social differences. Harry reaches over the table and gives his hand a small squeeze and he again is reminded that he is so very damned as there is little that he would not do for the other. 

He again smiles, puts down some money, and takes him back towards the hotel. There is a small pool that would be nice to wade in, if they place wards and forgetful spells they probably could claim it as theirs for a good majority of the day. He would like to make it so that no one observes them. Being alone with Harry somewhere tropical again is starting to sound better and better, warm but not Egypt hot with places to cool off. Perhaps for the honeymoon? Wizards did not exactly have the concept, but Muggles did, and as they were both Half-bloods, and he has finally settled with that being okay with him. Especially if that means he can get away with leaving the office again for a bit. Hermione was perfectly capable of running things. Had he still been a Dark Lord and searching for recruits he would have liked someone like Granger to handle some of the more 'diplomatic things'. She would have not had the intimidation value of Bella, but she still would have been useful. But he no longer is a Dark Lord and she had the organizational skills and management needed to run many side projects. Tom would hate it if he came home to a mound of work because while he was there nothing got done. For now, he is just going to enjoy his freedom and Harry's company. 

He's going to forget about work, and try not to worry about the wedding. Even though there is no way in hell that he is letting Harry plan the thing alone.

~/*\~

Harry does a few lazy laps around the pool, the water is wonderful and cool. It's probably courtesy of magic that it is not a loke warm temperature. Tom is resting at the one end half in and half out. A tome from one of the black magical markets gripped in his hands. He seems to be very engrossed with whatever the topic is. Harry sighs deeply, leaning back and just floating there in the water. It's nice, this is nice, he is sad to be heading back to an office chair after this. While he doesn't put in nearly the hours Tom does, he does feel almost like he is shackled by it all. Perhaps he still after all these years has a hero complex. He just can not stand still and do nothing if it is in his power to help. Sometimes he wishes that he had Tom's resolve.

"Tom." Brown eyes drift up from the book. "Swim with me." 

He raises an eyebrow, his fingers curling a little more around the book.

"Please." 

It's a magic word, the older man sends the book to the chair that is playing home to all their towels and other belongings with a bored expression. Their things are under protective wards of course, and of Tom's making. Harry wouldn't want to be an attempted theif with those in mind. They were probably quite painful. 

Tom gets into the water and more of it wades out to him, the water reaches about his lower chest in height, thin black marks detail down towards his abdomen and into the water. He knows they are the marks that serve as anchors of soul to body. They are his finest work, but that does not mean that he likes them. It's hard to think sometimes that he had killed Tom... killed parts of him repeatedly. Even if in that timeline he was beyond saving, there is part of him that is still saddened by it.

"I'm in the water now." Tom holds a little onto himself. "I fail to see why you wanted me to come out all this way." He shivers. 

"Is it really that cold for you?" He asks. 

"No my voice usually wavers like this for fun." 

Harry hums at that. “If you move it probably wouldn't be as cold.”

“It was not that cold when all I was doing was dipping my legs in and reading. I honestly would like to go back to that.” Tom huffs. 

Harry pries the folded arms open to give him a wet hug. “I would have probably dragged you in if I knew that book had not been a small fortune.”

His skin is warm against his, it feels nice. He can feel the small goosebumps on the other's arms, his breathing, and his tightened muscles.

“It wasn't that expensive.” Tom deflects relaxing into that hug slowly, he is still always so guarded when it came to affection. “And if you wanted me to give you attention then you should have just asked.” 

“I did,” Harry smirked as he pulled away, splashing him with a little bit of water only to have Tom lunge at him. 

~/*\~

Harry plays with his ring and the rubies shine, as he spins it a few times around his small finger. He seems to touch it a lot as if to check that it is really there. It's a good pick and a good fit. Tom knew what he was doing when he selected it. He had not had it enchanted yet, as he probably didn't want to overstep his bounds. If he had a choice though, he would pick a locator one. He would want to be able to track Harry for when he inevitably decided to dash off into something that could have been potentially dangerous. Harry nearly laughs at the thought. 

Tom notices his gaze. 

"I have to pick one out for you as well." Harry smiles fondly leaning back in the plane seat. 

It’s nice in first class but he would rather have apparated. He has a feeling that Tom likes traveling slowly because it gives them more time with each other. It's probably why he seems so interested in learning how to drive a car. Perhaps that would be his wedding gift, a car that they can learn how to drive together. He could even see if Arthur would help him make it able to fly. It certainly would have been a fun experience pranking Tom with that one. On second thought he would probably die briefly because of it. Maybe Death though wouldn’t mind being slightly inconvenienced. 

“It would be traditional for you to.” Tom agrees finally. “ We also have to think of enchantments, that of course is done at the ceremony.” 

Harry smiles largely. “I am sure you want a locator one.”

“It would be nice to feel a pull that told me where you were.” Tom doesn’t deny. “There are of course others that while not as useful can be considered.”

“Such as?” Harry tilts his head. 

“When we get home I’ll give you the booklets.” Tom chuckles. “I have plenty of them.” 

“So you have been researching, you were that certain that I would say yes huh?” Harry elbows him. 

Tom brings his hand to his face, in an attempt to hide his embarrassment. “It's not like I had ever really considered marriage. I have seen a few ceremonies and knew some of the decorum, but it's not something that I could see myself achieving, even when I had not broken my soul into smaller pieces. The amount of effort that would have been needed to keep that manipulation going would not have been worth it.” 

“That and you have a thing about touching.” Harry frowns. 

Because he has picked up on how only he can initiate touch with Tom without being thrown off. Tom can hardly stand others entering his personal space, and while it did not lead to any violent outbursts Harry has seen it cause his magic to fizzle at worst. 

“I am okay when you do it.” Tom defends. “I just get annoyed with all the people grabbing at me all the time. You would be amazed how many followers want to kiss your feet, and the girls in the office want to touch my hands because they think that they are soft.” 

“Which they are.” Harry helpfully adds. Slowly taking Tom’s hand giving him an out if he wants one. They understand each other too well. “I know it has to be consensual.” Harry lays his head on the other’s shoulder. 

Tom shakes his head. “Granger is convinced that once it's announced that I am getting married that they will leave me alone, the harpies.”

“You're not convinced though.”Harry raises a brow. 

“Oh, certainly not. They are all hoping that our marriage fails. The one receptionist Barbra is particularly nasty about the rumors. I honestly have considered hexing her or sending her one of those Weasley boxes.”

It's funny to him to think about the mini-wars that Tom must have fought in the office. He knows that most people like to do things that were underhanded to get ahead in the Ministry and he wonders how much passive-aggressive statements that Tom has made to assert some sort of dominance over them all.

“They owe us for investing.” Harry laughed, “I am sure that they will allow you to have a particularly nasty box just to test it all out. Not that I am encouraging your behavior.”

“Of course not.” Tom smiles darkly. “You are simply enabling me. It amazes me sometimes that you managed to be Gryffindor.”

“But then you remember that I tend to face things head-on.” Harry yawned. 

“Yes and I don’t know if that makes you foolish or truly brave.” Tom’s voice was as silky as ever, nearly putting him to sleep. He hates traveling like this, it made him more tired than long range apparition, but Tom wasn’t a fan of it since he had gotten a new boy, and its a small thing he doesn't mind compromising on.

“I think that it is a combination really.” He shut his eyes. “Wake me when we get our free stuff wound you?”

“I highly doubt that you would really miss much but the free soda and peanuts, and we both know that those are not all that great.”

“I just need the caffeine.” Harry nuzzled a little into his shoulder. 

Tom breathes deeply. “I told you not to drink coffee at the rate that Sirius does or you would get addicted.”

“No lectures, just wake me when there is caffeine involved.”

~/*\~

No one greets them when they arrive home. Tom can almost feel Harry’s disappointment at that fact, but all that he can feel is relief. Great and utter relief that he will not have to talk to anyone till possibly tomorrow at the earliest. He does not need to deal with Death's shenanigans or see Severus's disappointed face that he didn't burn to death or get lost on Harry's way home. Loki greets him by sliding underfoot. Her green eyes welcome him and he can not help himself but bend over to pet her. He locks eyes with Voldie as he moves towards their travel bags to smell them. 

“Our house looks to be in one piece.” Harry enters his line of sight again. 

“Good. No signs of Morte’s handiwork then.” Tom straightens up even as Loki puts her paw against him to tell him she was not ready to release him from his duty of loving her. He gently brushes her out of his way so that he can start to place their things in the proper locations and check the post. He has a bad feeling that things are burning at the office without him, even with Granger’s best efforts. He had taken notice of the vote being moved up for their latest amendment to the education bill in the paper on their way home. It's going to be a nightmare getting everything ready for that.

He sighs making his way to the kitchen. 

“No sighing we just made it home,” Harry calls from the living room. “We have the rest of tonight off, so don’t go poking at the mail. You won’t sleep then.” 

Harry is most certainly right. He would become fixated on all the things that he needed to do and thus wound toss and turn till he just got up and started to work on whatever problem it was that was bothering him. He had pulled a few days without sleep once, and Harry swore that if he had ever tried it again he would drug him with a sleeping drought. Tom would admit that he had been extra snappy and awful that week, but in his defense, he had to get a team together in less than two weeks. He had to make sure that he interviewed and set everything up for the department literally after just being promoted to the mess of offices. He was a downright bear during the interviews, making it perhaps even harder to fill the spots, but he wouldn’t work with anyone that would be subpar. He looked at the other departments that he had to wait for and wondered just how much effort it would take to rip them apart into something that is semi-functional. Not that he wants to even think about getting another promotion and moving up past department manager. He would be too tempted to hex and murder the staff. Especially if he takes over the department that Percy is in. Bless him, if he has to hear more about cauldron grades he is going to go on another genocide run to make sure that no one ever decides to create fakes that are one-fourth of an inch too thick. And that annoying twat was probably going to be invited to his wedding. 

“Why are you scowling?” Harry raises an eyebrow, “you didn’t even check the mail.”

“I thought about Percy.” He makes his way past Harry towards their bedroom. 

“Why would you do that to yourself.” Harry matches his look and turns to follow him. 

“You're planning on inviting the Weasleys to our wedding.” Tom defends, pushing the door open and all the cats start to make their moves to creep inside. 

“Yes but not just Percy and if you're concerned then I will make sure that he is seated far away from where we are.” Harry rolls his eyes slipping in first and heading for the dresser. 

“He will find some way to talk to me.” Tom denies. “And if we're really ignoring him, he might try and make a toast.”

He manages to shut the door so that only Loki, the naked rat, and Moon Moon have been able to sneak in. He has no want to have all six of the furballs and one meatball lay all over them as they tried to sleep. It's weird enough that Loki seems to stare at them intently if Harry so much as kisses him. 

Harry grimaced. “Well make sure that only select people get to use their wands to speak. I don’t want this to be a big thing, Tom. I just want to make sure what little people I consider family can be there. I want you to invite a few of the people you made friends with as well.” 

Tom nods but doesn’t add onto that. He does not really consider himself to have friends. He has never really had them. He has no idea who he would even invite other than Sirius and perhaps Severus but it's a given that if one of them went that the other would follow. They seem decently close, or as close as Severus would allow himself to be to others. He knows the other only talks with him because he perhaps feels that it's his duty as the only person outside of Harry, Morte, and himself that knows the truth. He supposes that he could invite Granger. He can stand her company, in and outside of the office. He could for appearances invite some of the other department heads that he has to deal with. But that seems like caving into them and Tom refuses to give edges even little ones to his opposition. 

Harry turns down the lights and Tom forces himself to try and turn off his overactive mind. Sleep finds him rather easily as it's been a long day with travel. He knows that they could have gotten home a lot faster, it's just he knows that it would have placed him in just about the same tired position just also magically drained as he was physical. There was something about doing nothing that made one even more tired than they were before.

~/*\~

He wakes far too early to the alarm that is Voldie. He is hissing and Harry quickly gets up to investigate why that is so. Tom is already making his way out the bedroom door. He quickly picks up his cat and follows. Wand at the ready. Not many things can get past his wards, he has taken to straightening them with his own blood after the Dumbledore incident. He wanted to make sure that if he had to travel home by portkey instead of appeartion if that option wasn't available there would be no unwanted tagalongs. As of the way things were only Harry, Tom, Sirius, Remus, and Severus had access to the home. Death was just an entity that one could not ever repel completely.

Severus is standing there, surrounded by the rest of the cats. They are stepping on his robes, and Tom has lowered his wand. It's unexpected to see you, Severus." He quips.

"You triggered our alarm system." Harry smiles holding Voldie a little closer as the cat calms. "what are you doing here so early this morning?"

"I came to check on the cats should you have decided to come home later." Severus folds his arms. "but as it seems that you have come home on time, my services are no longer required."

"Perhaps we should have sent an owl." Harry apologizes. "We got home late and I didn't want Tom touching the mail. If he hears bad news he just stresses over it. Not exactly the best thing to start doing right after our trip."

Severus nods slowly. "And was the trip eventful?" He hardly changes his voice but Harry can tell that he is slightly uncomfortable. The way that he is looking at Tom means that he knew more about what the trip could have entitled than he had let on before he was asked to watch the cats. 

"He said yes." Tom glares at the other.

Harry holds up his hand with the ring for good measure, just because he doesn't feel like saying anything when Severus is frowning like that.

"Congratulations." Is the swift reply that sounds anything but like Severus wanted to celebrate. It's not like there would have been a different outcome. Severus should have known that. He can feel the contempt about it just brewing under the surface of those dark eyes. It makes him uneased although he knows that there is nothing that Severus can do intentionally to hurt them with the knowledge that he knows.

Tom is still frowning after he leaves.

"Did he not think I would say yes?" Harry breaks the silence that is very thick.

"I think he was hopeful that you would say no and come to your senses," Tom answers darkly.

"Did he try and talk you out of it?" Harry feels a strange almost wounded feeling enter the pit of his stomach.

Tom who has been glaring at the door since Severus's departure glances back at him. "He did. I only went to him about procuring books on enchantments, because I could think of no one else that would have had some of the alchemy books I needed."

"You mean to enchant them yourself, not have them done." Harry is impressed, he knows there are some very complex magics used in the carving and creation of such things. There is also a big difference in making marks on an object to carry the magic on the surface level through arrays, it's entirely something else to transfuse it. Which it looks like Tom has every intention of attempting.

"I wouldn't trust anyone to do it correctly nor to my skill," Tom says plainly. 

"Well if I were to enchant yours it probably would not be up to your pare," Harry warns. 

Tom smirks. "By tradition, I have to let you use some of your magic on it to help with the creation of the enchantments, there is no rule to say that I can't fix your craftsmanship if I don't like it." His smugness slips a little, "If you read over what needs to be done, I don't doubt that you will do a decent job. You seemed to have done wonders with creating this body and the cats."

"Necromancy was not the easiest thing to learn." Harry admits. "It took me years and many attempts."

"Perhaps you should practice on a few rings," Tom suggests easily. He has already had practice in creating such enchantments. He is wearing the very ring that at one time would have killed anyone else that dared to put it on, cursing them with the devil's touch. It rotted a person, slowly, painfully, until there was nothing left. He can almost picture Dumbledore's blackened hand. He had taken apart those enchantments, picked them apart, snipped them as if he was using scissors.

He agrees though that he will practice, it will give him something to do other than creating a guest list. 

~/*\~

Having been woken up far too early for his liking, Tom makes Tea. His slight good mood from vacation drained him. He supposes that is his fate, anyone that knows the truth besides Harry would find fault in it. Would hate him for what he has done, no matter attempts to undo it. Some of it that he remembers doing feels almost like a dream. Like that amount of hate he felt was an ocean and now it can no longer drown him, he can not remember what it was like to feel that sort of rage so intensely, only Dumbledore hurting Harry had come close.

He sighs deeply poking through the mail, he rips apart things that are useless to him and skims through the paper. There is nothing to note except for the education bill vote date that is sandwiched in the small political section. The wizarding world is quiet, but he knows that there will be life at the vote. The purebloods would rally to stop what they would have seen as another slight against them. One that their former leader Voldemort has concocted. Not that he is really a Dark Lord anymore. He is not sure what he is at all. Tom just Tom perhaps Just like Harry is just Harry. 

He takes a deep breath when he sees Granger's thin neat print, opening it up and waiting for the contents to make him go to the Ministry a day early. To give him something to obsess over like he used to do over his planned raids and finding new and creative ways to murder and dismember a person. But inside is a wonderful pretty card. It says congratulations in gold, and it looks to be a combination of paper and is Muggle made, there is not a sign of magic to the thing except on the envelope that allowed for it to find him. He doesn't really like it, but he doesn't hate it. Granger is kind enough not to put glitter all over it, and its craftsmanship is just under passable. Still, it is the thought that counts and she is the first to have sent him anything of the sort.

Harry takes the coffee pot off the stove. "Anything interesting?" 

Tom just slips him the card.

"I knew both of you were getting along. I almost feel a little bad that I am not as close to her as in my first life." Harry smiles a little almost sadly. "You should be the one to invite her. I think she would really appreciate it." 

He is not sure what to say about it so he decides on dry humor. "With such a card how can I not." 

It seems to be the right thing to say because Harry starts telling him all about SPEW. He by the end of the tale is more than aware that a ministry position such as the one that she had undertaken must have been able to transcend the timeline. He can not possibly see her doing anything that doesn't press her beliefs on what was truly legally and morally right. 

~/*\~ 

Ah the Ministry, it always smells of damp parchment, old tombs, and terrible perfume that is sprayed last minute in the elevator. Harry has not missed it. He has not missed the cramped corridors or the stares that greet him at every turn. To them, he has always been the boy who lived, the boy that survived dumbledore, and the boy that was dating another boy that happened to be the son of the most feared Dark Lord to ever exist. People seemed to have forgotten Grindelwald. People always were forgetting him, perhaps it was because his brand of terror was pitted against just Muggles, just outsiders. Still, they always stared, but now they are looking at the small band that makes its home on his finger. And they all are whispering, they all are talking, because he is no longer a boy. He by every definition is 18 and in many places even outside the Wizarding World that constituted as him being an adult. He thought can hear them making judgemental comments on his age as if he is not old enough to know what he wants or if he is truly in love.

Harry slips into his office, greets his small group, and then proceeds to take out all the files from the last two weeks. He has to make sure that the children are accounted for, that they are in good homes, and most importantly that they are happy with their placements. As soon as he has the files, all ideas of never returning and just enjoying traveling and the luxury of sleep and time fade. They fade when he looks at the pictures of their newest charge taken from a Muggle and Witch home. Her pale blue eyes look up at him from the photograph with the sunken in the face of a little girl that has never known love. 

"Welcome back." Susan Bones greets him, taking him from his thoughts.

"Thanks, it's good to be back." Harry puts on his best smile. "You all seem to have had things handled while I was gone."

Susan nods. "For the most part, we have been running smoothly. The new case is going to be a unique custody battle. Lavender thinks that we should move the girl into a transition home, but the other legal departments are insisting that the mother is competent enough to hold onto her." 

"What do you think?" Harry trusts her judgment, better than most. 

"I think that the woman needs to sort out her own problems before she drags her child through any other of her messes." Susan's voice hardens and Harry has a bad feeling about opening the case file. 

~/*\~

In the stuffed and crowded vault, a man hobbles trying not to knock anything over. He has been given permission to look into the contents of the Criminal Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore It's been a very interesting court case. He is still convinced that Dumbledore was onto something. Not that any of the departments believe him. But as the old man was quite sick, his will had been brought into question. It was his job to look over it all and make sure that what was left of the estate that was to be passed to his brother and sole living relative did not have anything too dark inside of it. Nothing that was cursed or would cause issues should his brother also go down the road of villainy. He would believe that Aberforth was capable of such things when the Quibbler managed to publish something that was completely factual, and that was never going to happen, and nor was such a good man going to turn wrong. Albus's case was they said vs what he said sort of thing, and one person had no memories, the other was a death eater, and another a child. It was fishy not that anyone would listen to him. No one ever listened to him. 

He browsed the items, coming across a large bound book and a pile of vails. There is a silvery liquid that rests inside of them. The box had one large well-scripted word. 

_FAIL-SAFE_


	2. Invites and Planning

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Harry and Tom discuss their wedding and Soul Shards.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello everyone, please enjoy another chapter :D

The silver pours into a bowel and a man sticks his face in to see the memory. The world turns gray and discolored, blacks and blues becoming more vibrant. The distorted world gives insight to an office space. There are a few boys sitting at a table; none of them are recognizable. 

“Sir.” One of them asks, his voice soft, respectful by the way that he holds himself in the chair. His eyes glossy. “Is it true that Marythought is retiring?” 

“ I could not tell you if it were so, but I dare say these sweets are delicious, you are quite right the pineapple is my favorite. How did you know that?”

“Intuition.” The boy folds his hands out in front of him. His soft voice suggests that there is more to it than that. Much more. The other boys are silent. 

The old man glances at the clock and he looks too familiar. Though the watcher can not be certain who he is, even as he mentions Headmaster Dippet would have them all for detention. 

“Look sharp, you don’t want to be caught out of bed after hours.” The old man turns from the boy to clean up the mess, but the younger boy is still standing there even after all of his friends have left. He stands there quite tall and almost like an unnerving silhouette. The pictures besides the old man are now looking at him, and there is almost like a darkness radiating off of the boy. 

“Is there something on your mind?” The professor asks kindly, oblivious to the way that the boy in front of him is presenting that while there is definitely something on his mind he is being cautious about his approach. The scene shifts and the watcher has to move, as the boy turns so the other can not see his face. He stands by the fire playing with a small ring on his finger, twisting it, turning it so that the black diamond-like stone reflects the fire that gives no heat. As if he is nervous and ready to select his words very carefully. 

“I was not sure who else to go to, the other processors they might not understand.” The boy starts with almost a false waver to his voice, it's almost forced. 

It is when the watcher takes a look away from the boy he can see the professor in all of his ‘glory’ He recognizes the man, the plump figure that is standing behind the boy now. He knows him to be the retired potions teacher Slughorn. Even in the memory, he seems far too happy. It's almost nauseating the way that he beams at the boy like he is some prized jewel in his collection. 

"Professor can ask you." The boy's face is a mask, it is almost like it is porcelain and that it can not show emotions correctly. Even though the watcher is damn sure that the kid is trying to convey concern and burning curiosity. 

"You can ask me anything, I'm you head of house." The man says it rather proudly. He doesn't seem to realize the way that makes the student smile. The first real emotion to cross his face, smug satisfaction that he recognizes well. It is only there a fraction of a second before the mask is back. But he saw it. He knows that it was there. 

"I was in the library the other night, in the restricted section and I stumbled on a bit of odd magic. It's called a Horcrux." 

The memory world starts to distort and nearly ripped apart at the seams. Darkness swirls in the pool. 

"I don't know anything about that! And if I did I wouldn’t tell you! Get out! Never ask me that sort of thing again." It's abrupt, the anger, the explosion of feeling. It's as if that part of it is sandwiched in, as the whole world tilts and he is rejected from the bowl. It's been tampered with. But the part of the Horcruxes isn't. He hasn't heard of it but it's definitely dark. And the boy, he needs to know who the boy is that is asking. 

He digs through the other vails that are there, and he finds another marked the death of the Riddles. He sees the same boy, he is slightly older and his features are more set. The look of contempt is evident, malicious enjoyment at the suffering of others. There is a coldness in those dark brown eyes that are almost red even if the color devoid world. Tom Riddle, that is the name of the boy. Son of a Muggle and the disgraced Gaunt line's last girl. The image of the young man staring down at him in the memory will not leave him be. He has seen that face before, every curve of it. It's plastered on the very paper that has come this morning, along with another face that all of the Wizarding World knows. 

~/*\~

It's out there now, Harry knew that it was coming the second that he had chosen a ring for Tom and he started wearing it. There could no longer be any speculation. It's set in literal stone and mineral that they are going to be together, that they are getting married. Harry had been planning on having a small evening out with his few friends to deliver the news properly, but that had not happened and the barrage of letters started. Everyone wanted to know more about what they had planned and who they had invited. It was a nightmare for their poor owl Hedwin. Hedwig had been a wonderful girl owl that he can never replace, and cannot bring himself to rename any other bird. Hedwin was a large horned owl with a frowning disposition. He liked them alright but he knew that the old bird had the tendency to bite other people. Probably why Tom liked him so much. He hated all the birds that were coming in, perhaps he felt left out that he had nothing to carry to others, or he was just annoyed that the other birds would rest themselves in his places on the ledges and not leave him be. 

Either way, as of now Harry had nothing truly to respond with other than yes he was getting married, and yes he was planning it. He can’t hate something that he has just started. He tells himself that over and over. Wedding planning, Godric bless him. He has not a single idea of how to do it. Tell him that you needed him to reanimate a body, slay a dragon, fight a Dark Lord, break into a bank, and Harry would have been all over it. He would be on top of it because he has done all of that before and he was still alive and kicking. He can handle this, he just needs someone's help that isn't going to get overly annoyed with him for asking them the favor of it. The logical choice is his motherly stand-in. Molly had experience with planning weddings having helped Charlie and Bill. She knows some of the more traditional mixed with the modern and is more than likely going to be supportive. Tom can have his say as well, he has his own ideas Harry is sure.

He decided to gently bring up the topic when they both are relaxing in the living room, listening to the radio play soft music from the '50s and 60's Tom is not as violently opposed to music if it is more towards his age. Not that he hates all new music just most of it. 

"Before you involve her, you should try and pick a color theme." Tom relaxes into the sofa, pulling out his book. He doesn't look too bothered with the initial planning stages. "It also would be wise to make a list of guests before trying to purchase anything in a large quantity."

"Very helpful." Harry sighed.

"You are the one that wanted to have a wedding." Tom pointed out. "I will help with the ceremony and final arrangements, but that is all." 

"You don't have anyone in particular that you wish to invite?" Harry asked.

"Not particularly, as we have mentioned Granger before and Sirius is a given." Tom doesn't bother to look up from the crumbling pages. He has magic keeping it for the most part together. It wreaks of dark magic, but Harry isn't concerned yet about it. Their ideas of enjoyable reading were very different and as long as Harry knew he wasn't cursing anyone to painful deaths, he is a bit more inclined to let it slide.

"I was thinking about trying to invite extended family, as I said before. I think that Nercessa would like to be reunited with her sister and her cousin, even if she would not want to admit it out loud." Harry played with the end of his quill. "And for all he says Sirius has to be lonely only speaking with only Andromeda from that side of the family. I think that he was close to them before he was 16 and was disowned."

"Even if he was, that was a long time ago." Tom scowled actually getting involved in the conversation, the book partially abandoned on his lap. "Has it occurred to you that Lucius is one of the biggest opposers to my current works and has had backings with some of the other heads of houses to try and stop my proposed amendments to the education's bill? Would this not be a very conflict of interests for everyone involved as to put it lightly, think of Sirius and the Weasleys as blood traitors, yourself and myself as obstacles in their way of keeping unjust laws in place, and have a hate for all Muggle-borns or see them as less than human? Not to mention Draco and your obvious dislike over the boy."

"You do have a valid point." Harry feels slightly defeated, by that logic.

"Not a singular point, I have made several. I can make more if you want." Tom rests his head on his hand and taps his book impatiently wanting to get this over with so he can go back to reading.

"You do not think it's possible for them to connect if we were to keep Lucius's hands away from it. Certainly, they are all not above changing, or having slight compassion for family." Harry says slowly, "Narcissa protected me from other you just because I told her that Draco was alive and she had no real love for me. Malfoy in the months that followed insisted that all he did was because of family. So perhaps there is a chance as I don't hate everything about Draco, just his childishness, and narrowmindedness."

"Working in the Ministry certainly must be a chore for you then," Tom says it with a straight face, no hint at sarcasm. "I might have had a change of heart Harry, but you have to remember that part of my insanity to believe in blood or to use blood to meet an end came from missing large chunks of my soul; and even before that, I was not above using people. There is very little that the Malfoys care about besides their immediate little family. They have thrown their own members under the bus for less things than considering marrying a Muggle-born. I don't think it's possible for them to reconnect with our side of things now, they have too much hatred. However, if you really think it's possible I won't stop your attempt. But remember that you did invite people that might also not be alright with them coming, just as much as they might feel insulted about being invited."

"I mean they might not even show." Harry tries to smile, but it doesn't exactly reach his eyes. "I just know that it would be nice if we didn't have to fight them, that they could see reason."

"They will come." Tom disregards the idea. "It's too much of a social statement not to, even if they don't agree with all of our politics it would be in bad taste to burn all the bridges with us by not accepting."

"Okay, so I have permission to try." Harry made note of it on his parchment. "I will, I am sure have to approach telling a few people this information delicately."

"Very delicately knowing Ronald," Tom says bluntly.

"He is not that bad." Harry deflects. "He might not have always been the best at showing it, but he really is a caring friend. I never would have made it as far as I did without him, his family was very kind to me. I never really ever felt love till I met them and they included me."

"As nice as this is now that you have settled who you want to invite that might be controversial, can I go back to my book, and leave you to make your ever-growing list?" Tom tilts his head, fingers brushing the page that he left off on. 

"Not yet you mentioned a color theme." Harry isn’t ready to let him go, he can start everything properly if they get that settled. 

Tom mutters a curse. "What bloody color do you want it to be and don't say Gryffindor red."

"Red is a nice color, not that I want it to be red." Harry shakes his head. "What color do you want it green?"

"Green would clash with your ring, it would be like Christmas colors." Tom disagrees.

"Blue?" Harry tries. 

“We’re not from Ravenclaw.” Tom looks disgusted by the idea. 

“Gold?” Harry tries next because why the hell not. 

“Absolutely not, it's too much like Gryffindor.” Tom rejected. 

"Silver?" Harry sighs deeply.

"Not awful." Tom settles.

"It could be nice with grays to it." Harry agrees, it would suit them in a way. 

"Just like your magic." Tom actually smiles at that. He can feel Tom’s brush against his in the air as emotions and magic runs freely. Dark gray blue near black and lighter, softer almost silver in places Harry’s. 

"Yes gray like my magic and dark gray like yours, don't think I haven't noticed that it has lightened." Harry is quite proud of him. There would always be a taint on his soul from the dark magic and rituals that he had done. Splitting it certainly had not helped anything, but there were places where it had lightened. Lightened because of remorse that had fixed the splinters and because he had not killed anyone since he had gotten his new body. No matter the temptation that he was presented with. 

~/*\~

Tom is pleased with that assessment. He can’t cast a Patronus still because of the lingering effects of his deeds, but he can cast very small healing spells. Something that he didn’t think that he would have been able to do again. His magic will never be light gray like Harry's; it had always lent more to the dark. Not that all that was considered dark was bad. He really hated those that assumed that. It was why he tried to keep it under wraps how it presented itself in the workplace. 

**Or Gray like your morals and other intents.** Death stands there in the corner of the room, his cloak sending shadows dancing across the floor. **It is good to see you home in one piece.**

Tom should have noticed the way that the temperature had dropped. He really should have, even now that he is more relaxed, with a good life, it did not mean that he should take lightly his safety and Harry’s even in places where they thought that they were alone. Vigilance was always key. He has a feeling that he is not going to be able to enjoy his book tonight, he sets it down and to the side. He doesn’t bother to hide his disappointment. It's not like he can read this one while at the office either.

“I had expected you to call earlier than this.” Harry laughs completely unbothered by the being's presence. 

While Tom has gotten used to him, he is not sure that he can ever share Harry's enthusiasm for sharing time with such a being. It was still very unnatural his friendship with the force of nature that was Death. The mortal plane couldn’t handle such a being either, nor could the mind ever get an exact shape. 

**I am most glad that you missed me, Master. Don't sound disappointed now, but there are other things that I have to attend to that does not involve you.**

“I think I'm content to know that. Feels like there is nothing but endless chatter about our marriage.”

 **Yes the unity of two souls, to be together for eternity even past me.** Death sounds most pleased with it. His skull seems to shine in the dull lighting of his own making. **At one point it would have scared you both by that prospect, but now look at you embracing it with open arms. Still a little disappointing that Riddle doesn't have a completed soul.**

He wished that the being would let it go. He has been trying, it's not like he hasn’t been. It's a reminder of his failure in his one true promise to Harry. 

"It's complete enough for now," Tom adds in trying to control his temper. "And if there is something that I am missing that's needed to remove the little bit from Harry by all means enlighten me."

 **It may surprise you Riddle but I don't have all the answers to the universe. I may be as old as it, but I don't have all the answers, not even close.** Death is as helpful as ever in his reply, though Tom has a suspicion that he does know something that could be a clue, and as usual, is withholding unless Harry directly asks for it. 

“Is there any mystery that you are trying to puzzle out currently?” Harry asks. Shifting the topic again away from the more delicate topic of Tom’s soul and Harry’s. He lets out a small breath of relief. He has no want to fight with death. The being might have grown slightly fond of him, but he knows its loyalty and care if it can be called that is directed more towards Harry and what Harry wanted and needed. 

**Yes there might be one.** Death starts to play with the small pendant that he wears around his neck. The hourglass that is shaped almost into an infinity symbol turns with his movements. **In all my years of existence I have not been invited to one single wedding. I was quite hopeful, not to invite myself, that you would invite me.**

Death as a welcome guest at their wedding, he knows that stranger things much have happened, but the being is asking almost shyly as if he has been advised not to do such a thing, and is going to anyway. 

“You are welcome to come.” Harry extends the offer with no hesitation, Tom didn’t suspect anything different from him. “I would expect that you would want to be present even without an invite and it's not like there would be much we could do to stop you from attending.”

 **No there wouldn’t be unless you alright forbid me. Death is not usually something that one invites to their union and I wouldn't wish to intrude on it even if sneaking in as they say would be an option. It is also so much more meaningful when someone invites you.** His eye lights are shining and his skull is in a nice smile. Tom hates that he knows that. **Is this to be the sort of event that I need to bring someone to. The being sounds delighted by the topic of bringing a plus one. I have very few that would go with me, but Anubis would probably be more than excited to come along.**

“Anubis?” Tom narrows his eyes in confusion, “like the Egyptian god?” 

He had chucked that being up as fiction as he had many other entities that would be considered to play a role in death as he knew Morte to be the only one. 

**Well she is seen like that to many, but she was at one-time mortal.** Death explains. **But she is past that point now.**

He doesn’t bother to ask for elaboration because he is sure that he won’t get one. Death answers questions but has a habit of only bringing up more when he does. 

“Is it ok for her to leave, I mean you gave me the amulet, Harry has unknowingly started to play with the bracelet that death had transfigured for him many many years ago. It never leaves his wrist. Tom only recently had been told about it. Harry did not want to talk about his death day of his old life and Tom never pressed it. He knows of a few people that were responsible for it, and he can’t understand Harry’s willingness to forgive them, be in close contact with them. 

**She can leave, however, it's usually limited. Human form is hard for us beings to maintain. It's like putting on a coat that is 3 sizes too small. There are things that fit, but not all of it. It's uncomfortable and unnatural.**

“Explains why the shadows are off in pictures.” Tom sighs “and why the room temperature changes.”

 **Yes I have a rather low temperature, not that I can help it. My pocket of the universe is quite hidden from the sun. I was born from darkness, space, and energy. Cold just happens to be a byproduct. But I assure you that should you again find yourself on the other side that it won't feel cold to you.**

Tom again feels that uncomfortable thought of forever sleeping. Forever in a plane that is not like his own, one that he can not comprehend because he has no memory of it, even though when he had shards for a soul they could feel death's cold and waiting embrace. 

“It didn't feel cold.” Harry agrees, and Tom doesn’t know if that is to help settle him or if it is because Harry just feels like it needs to be said. “Why is that?”

 **One because you don't have a body in which to feel such things, but also memories are enough to keep a person warm. The good feelings of life can transcend into the afterlife. It is why most good people go to warmer or happier afterlives.**

“Like a Patronus.” Harry seems very pleased with the concept. 

Tom has a tightening of his chest as he has few good memories to draw on. Almost all of them do stem from coming to care for Harry, the other few examples are being told he had magic, receiving his wand, Hogwarts, and finding out he was related to Salazar Slytherin. The happiness over his heritage had not lasted long, as he realized what he was a byproduct of. 

“Belief guides where you go,” Harry explains as an afterthought to Tom that feels only slightly lost. He has never really liked it when they pass things around about the afterlife that he has no way of understanding unless he was to pass on and see it for himself. 

**Yes if a person truly believes that they are evil or have done inexcusable things, that they not even in death can be forgiven, they just might find themselves in the burning circles. Which should you have not changed your tune was where you were destined to go with a mended soul. purgatory is where the fractured bits go**

Death explains it as if he is having a pleasant conversation and not of the literal damnation of him. He has felt burning before when he was a wraith, and that pain was not even comparative to the pain that he had felt when he had been mending shards. He grips a little at his chest at the reminder, hardly settled that he is no longer headed to that fate. 

“I see.” He manages to croak out, hoping that they will drop the conversation. Harry is now looking at him and perhaps realizing what effect this conversation is having on him. 

“Right point being,” Harry shrugged trying to wrap the conversation up. “You can bring her if she promises not to challenge anyone to her feather game. Especially Tom.”

There is a hint of a warning in his tone. He has no idea what this game was, but by the way that Harry is addressing the ‘god’ of Death he has no want to find out. 

**She will behave with your soulmate.** Death says good-naturedly. **She finds him to be rather fascinating. She keeps bringing up that playing the game with you gave her insight to parts of Riddle as well. She likes the shard that you hold, finds it almost precious despite the darkness that created it.**

“Can we not talk about my soul shards? Tom interrupts as he has never told Harry what emotions and feelings that he had cut out of himself when he was making them. He doesn’t know what part of himself lies inside of Harry, but it's not something that he wants to talk about in front of him. He also wants to make it known that he doesn’t like the way they are talking as if he is not there. 

**I apologize that must feel rather personal.** Death sounds anything but. **I will have to talk to you about that shard at a different time. I think it might help you in learning how to extract it or at least give you a reason to understand and appreciate it.**

Tom’s magic fizzles out slightly. 

“Morte,” Harry says kindly, making his way to sit next to Tom and calm him. Tom doesn’t need it, and he hates the soft eyes that are directed at him. It almost feels like pity and Tom hates when that look is even remotely cast in his direction. 

The being must have realized that he was rambling and he sighs deeply, the movement makes almost a hiss through his teeth. The shadows around him dance by the motion. 

**I had one other thing of business-related matters to tell you before I go and make sure that the people on the bus speeding towards the bridge are taken care of. I was very disappointed that you did not allow me to take care of the cats while you were gone. Severus certainly is not as qualified for the job as I am, I have many years of experience working with all sorts of animals.**

For the love of Godric. Tom wants to snap at the being, even if Death almost sounds upset that he wasn't asked, hurt even. But considering that his patience has worn out that wouldn't save him from Tom's blunt answer. 

"You nearly destroyed the house while we were gone the last time. The cats almost starved because they had hunted all the easy prey, and Hedwin had pulled out a few of his own feathers so he was so stressed. You know animals, but most certainly don't know how to keep them alive."

Harry shook his head, gripping at his arm lightly so that he wouldn’t say more. Tom had plenty more to say. 

"Probably does not help that your touch outside of a human form can kill them,” Harry adds. “We know that you tried, and you can visit any time you wish them. I will even help you to learn how to take care of them so that the next time we take a trip you with supervision can attempt again.”

Harry seems to know something that Tom doesn’t about Death condition and living things. It almost sounds like Harry is trying to smooth things over by offering to help him with such a problem. 

**I feel as if you are treating me like a child.** Death accuses. **But I suppose that it's to be expected you, humans, like things down your way and your way only after all.** He then popped and was gone. The room immediately seems to warm a few degrees. As if that was the message that he was supposed to take away. Tom really does hate that about him. 

“I am sorry that he acted that way.” Harry loosens his grip. “He doesn’t understand or is too old to care about what he says and how it might affect others. He just wants to help with the last bit of mending, though the way he went about saying it was anything but helpful.”

“Yes, reminding me that I was destined to burn for eternity without you.” Tom bristles. 

“It might have been true, but he did not have to remind you in such a way,” Harry says diplomatically. “It was rather cruel of him really. He likes you, even if he does have a very unique way of showing it.” 

Tom scuffs. “If that is his way of showing care, I wish he would show less of it.” 

Harry laughs but it doesn’t show warmth, “He is a stubborn old being, but he is one of the reasons that I am with you. He encouraged me to follow my heart and is the reason that I am still here in many ways. I worry about him at a party with guests.”

“Death is not supposed to spend a long time interacting with mortals I am sure.” Tom feels like that has to be a rule. 

“No, but it's not like he will do much more than witnessing it as a guest and leave. The less he seems to have an identity in our world as Morte the better. Anubis is another thing entirely. I only met her once and while she seems to have a better understanding of humans as she was one, I don’t know how she would conduct herself at the wedding. But perhaps she can control Morte a little.” 

Tom relaxes just slightly. “Any amount would probably be useful.” 

“I’m not worried about the last soul piece.” Harry suddenly blurts, his face reddening. “We don’t have to worry about it.” He seems to try and correct himself. As long as I am the master of death, there is no limit on the amount of time that we have to solve it. I am also sometimes very happy to have our bond.” 

It lightens his heart for some reason, the talons that have been squeezing at it since it had been brought up loosen.

“I like being able to feel what you are feeling sometimes. Especially when you shut down and try and place that mask on your face.” Harry leans in and kisses him softly on the cheek. “I am sure it helps sometimes with reading me as well.” 

“It does.” He answers without even thinking. 

“We aren’t going to worry about it.” Harry insists grabbing onto both of his wrists. “We are taking it one day at a time, one hour if needed. Nothing changes through the wedding, nothing is sped up. We are just as connected as ever.” 

Again that feeling runs its way through his system, that perhaps he has not failed the other yet over being unable to take the shard out. 

“Of course not.” Tom leans in and takes those lips as his own, expressing his passion for the other. Just like the first time that they had done such a thing, hot desire, and love he can not express through words. Though he had always been good at stinging them together to manipulate and get his way. 

~/*\~

Harry makes his compounded list of people that were to be invited. He has a moderately sized amount of people coming, some that were from extended family that he did not know all that well and mentioned that in his letters his want to get to know them and connect with them. He wrote carefully his note to the Malfoys with the help of Tom that helped to shape it into something that would be more proper. Harry didn’t share as much care as that when he wrote the others. He made sure that they were nice, but he was a lot more open and nice with them. He still needed to pick a date. He didn’t really want to wait all that long, and if he needed to he was not above using a Muggle location and then paying so that there wouldn’t be any really present for it. 

“The list is almost complete.” Harry motioned Tom over, I just need to pick a location, time, and place, and I can fill that into the standard cards that I will be sending. 

“How soon do you want it to be? There are a lot of things scheduled to happen after Yule.” Tom is absolutely right of course. “It could prove difficult to gather those that you want to be there.” 

“Right the elections and all of that.” Harry frowns. “Perhaps we should rush it a tad, give only a few months notice. It's not like I want anyone particularly to stand up in it. Were not doing this the Muggle way so as long as the two people giving speeches and such match us, it shouldn’t matter too much right?”

“No.” Tom sounds a bit relieved. “It should not matter too greatly, there are days that are more important than others though. I think we should tie when it is spiritually and magically beneficial. It will help with the older houses that you have decided to invite.”

“I can’t do Halloween,” Harry tells him. “I just can’t.” 

Tom moves from his place at his desk to be closer to him. “I wouldn’t expect it to be then. After the Autumn equinox work, the first moon is the Hunter’s moon and it is a powerful day to be united. Under the moon rays, enchantments will be strengthened.” 

“Remus will not feel comfortable that day or evening before his scheduled change.” Harry doesn’t wish to disclude him.

“We could have the wedding the day after it, enchant our rings the night prior. It would still have the same effects and the day after the moon is considered sacred. The day after and during the moon particularly the walls between the realms are thin. You can speak with those that have passed on.” He has been thinking hard about this, planning for Harry something that he never really wanted to plan. 

Harry stills at this. “Are you going to contact... “ He can’t bring himself to say their names. He feels very moved. “Them… while enchanting the rings.” 

“I plan on doing so. This is not like pulling them from the land of the dead, it's a special night. There would be no harm in talking with them. Many do. I have never had any to call, but as for feeling remorse over my actions, I feel that it's important to tell them that I am truly sorry for their deaths. It may be able to take out the remaining shard as well as allow for their blessings to hopefully be placed into the enchantments. Morte hints at things, and perhaps he was hinting at this when mentioning marriage being the union of 2 souls.”

Harry blinks, and he realizes that there are a few tears that have slipped out. He covers his face as he tries to dry them. But they keep coming. Tom doesn’t move to comfort him, his hands are shaking a little. 

“Are…” He starts.

Harry laughs. “I.. just… fuck Tom. I think that is the kindest thing that you have ever planned to do. I haven’t talked to them. I have had opportunities but I have always just….”

He falls silent because he has not been able to bring himself to think too much about them. He loves them. Oh, he loves them. He knows a little more about them this time around than he did his first life. He knows that they did not deserve their fate, Tom knows it too. 

He feels arms around him, tightly holding onto him, grounding him. “We don’t have to do it if you are uncomfortable. I just thought that it may help.” 

“No…” Harry takes deep breaths, smiling a sad but real one. “I think it's important. I want to talk with them.”

“The following days' moons are revered as the winds moon and grandmother's moon cycles. They also have meaning.” Tom says softly shifting the topic to help him. “And because of the year, it shall fall in early November after Halloween.” 

“So what day.” Harry composes himself, not pulling himself away from the warm arms that are holding him. 

“November 3rd.” Tom smiles. “The wedding would be the 4th. Does that work?” 

And Harry's world seems to freeze, that date. The day he died, or rather the late hours of.

 _Ginny is looking at him, tears are rolling down her red cheeks. Her wand is pointed at his chest. “I’m so sorry Harry, but he can come back through you.” He is taking a step backward away from her. His heart racing, his mouth is open but he is unable to speak. It's seconds but it feels like a decade. He finds himself falling, falling hard with a flash of green light. His heart is forced to still. He is dragged into the black, as his body and consciousness are stripped from him._

He blinks for several seconds. 

“Harry?” Tom is definitely concerned, his eyes are searching and his hands have tightened their grip on him. 

“It’s nothing.” Harry lies, “I don’t have a good memory of that day. I would be happy to replace the bad with a good memory.” 

Tom doesn’t believe him. It's obvious by the way that he presses his lips together into a thin line. “If it's not a good day we can push the wedding into the new year to the summer where it wouldn’t affect any of the bigger dates to come.” 

“No.” Harry puts more strength to his words. “This works out the best.”

Tom probably can feel Harry’s unease, it's not that easy to cover when they were so close. 

“Have you selected the enchantments that you want to place on our rings?” Harry shifts the topic. 

“I have chosen the ones I intend to place on yours, yes.” Tom lets the other conversation die, but he has not even close to letting it go that Harry had such a reaction to the day. “Have you selected the ones for mine?”

“I chose a tracing one, much like I am sure that you wish to place on mine. I have not thought about the rest. There are a lot of things to go through. But I have looked into simple ones to practice and made copies of the book on alchemy so that we can return the books to Severus.”

Tom got that dark look on his face. He and Severus are not going to ever get along again. It's very obvious. 

“I can return them for us.” Harry quickly adds. “That way I can talk to him about the wedding. It might be better if I tell him what you and I are planning to do.”

“He won’t approve of me, Harry. No one that knows the truth ever will.” Tom is sinking into that mortality that had threatened to drown him a few years ago. When remorse and considering himself a monster had nearly killed him as he had no motivation for anything, nothing but guilt that was crushing. Harry doesn’t want him to start going down that train of thought again. It had been painful to watch and even more to pull him out of it. 

“All that matters is that we know what we want.” Harry hardens his voice. “You know I still love you even with the things that you have done. I know them better than anyone else. I also know the new you that none would care enough to see. I will always care for you.” 

He trails a hand up to his face so that he can feel the soft flesh of his cheeks, cheeks that are not sunken nor snake-like. Tom still has qualities that remind him of Voldemort. But he is not even close to that far gone. He was making such good strides. Tom closes his eyes, soaking up the warmth through the bond that Harry can feel as well. That sort of emotion and love can not be faked no matter what Severus or others said. He knows that Tom loves him, knows this to be true more than he knows parts of himself. 

“It would look like cowardness to send only you with the books to talk to him.” Tom finally speaks. 

“No, it would seem reasonable as you have already tired and it can be my turn instead.” Harry tries to reassure. 

Tom finally nods giving his permission to attempt to bring an olive branch between the three of them. 

~/*\~

With the date set, Harry chooses the location an observatory so that it can take place under the stars. Tom has always liked the stars, even though he no longer believes as much about them being connected to fate. He has a lot to get ready for the proper ritual to help in summoning deceased relatives to give their blessings to the rings. Harry's parents are the ones that should bless his ring, its a good way to receive closure. It's a chance to ask to be forgiven. He wants to heal Harry's soul. If he can do that, he would have at least succeeded in his promise. It would clear his conscience and perhaps help with Harry's guilt over loving him if they would approve.

He wants to place protective enchantments on Harry's ring. His main goal is to place notifiers to compulsion charms and place some protection against those that would try and use the imperious to control him. A small tracker that will allow them to find each other should they ever be separated and in need. Family love and magic is the strongest of all protections. It was Lily's love and sacrifice that killed him the first time around, and provided blood wards that would have protected Harry against all but his relatives should he have hidden behind them. Ancestors also could pass on the family protective spells as they were ways to use their wishes in the last casting of the medal. Magic after all was all about intent and will, even the dead could do that. 

There was also the pure chance that they could curse the rings, but Tom can not see Lily who died for her son doing anything to harm him. After all, it was Harry's ring she would be blessing, not Toms. 

He has debated calling up his own mother, she is the only one that he can think of related to him that would offer any sort of blessing. He had done horrible things to the rest of them. He doesn't want the Riddles forgiveness, he might have a little remorse for killing them but that doesn't mean that he likes them at all. He feels that they would curse him violently for his acts and further condemn him. He still thinks that deserved some sort of punishment for the way that they treated him, but not death. His Grandfather and other relatives on the Gaunt line would have sooner died a second time than gift or bless anything for him. 

He still hates them, he hates the way they wouldn't recognize him. He was a child that was against their very beliefs. He was disgusting, less than dirt to them, and a blight on their already rotting tree. He never killed his Grandfather the old bastard had died because of dementor exposure and poor health after prison, but he would have liked to. He knows how cruel the man was. He knows that he was willing to beat, sexually assault, and refer to his mother as a disgrace at every turn. It had been them that had frightened her into suppressing magic, magic that was already weak for many reasons. 

His mother is an option, but it's not like he has a great love for her. He wishes that he had some sort of semblance of love for family as Harry does. But he doesn't as far as he has always been concerned he has been on his own. The locket around his neck feels heavy, he had wanted it so greatly at one time, so desperately. He shuts his eyes and breaths in slowly, as he crushes the bones into a fine powder. Harry is the only family that he truly needs and wants. He is okay with calling Sirus as partial relation to himself. But he has no real family ties, his blood or will for an enchantment would not be the same. 

His mother though. He can't picture her, not really. He has no memories or pictures of her other than those that were distorted by others' views of her in memories. They were not flattering and they were blurry with other emotions. He cares not for her, he can pity her at best, because it comes down to also pitying and hating that part of himself. 

There is a cycle of blame that can be placed at her feet, he could blame her solely for her act that created him. He could blame her for tricking his father into having him, raping him, creating someone under a love potion with muted feelings. A person that struggled to this day to empathize with anyone other than Harry, that was pre-dispassioned to have a hard life because of it. He could blame her for leaving him, selling the only thing of value she had because she could not bring herself to do magic again or not having enough strength to keep herself going for her sake. He can blame her for bringing him to a Muggle orphanage that hardly took care of him. Where he started down his very dark path. He could blame his grandfather for pushing her to a snapping point where she saw Riddle as an escape, a person that could save her. Marope much like his father and Dumbledore did not steer him to making all the wrong choices that destroyed him in the end but they defiantly had helped to point him in the direction. 

The bowl's glass stir rod cracked with the pressure that he placed on it. Old festering wounds, that was what it all amounted to. His blood dripped down his hand and he watched it pool into the bowl ruining his work. 

He had never really viewed his life as a tragedy, but perhaps that was what it played out as. A boy that could have become great despite being born to nothing, choose to replicate all the hate, anger, and the frustration that he felt, and inflict his pain onto others. He could have been like Harry, he could have been larger than it, but he hadn't he had not known how. He had not known and had been too prideful and afraid of being weak to ever consider asking for help. Every step took him to where he is now. He wonders if she could ever love him, knowing the things he had done and what he had become. He wonders if she had survived if she would have loved him, or if she would have been too wrapped up in her apparent heartache and guilt to care for him. He supposes he shouldn't care what his own mother or anyone thinks about him other than Harry, but that stupid shard when it mended had brought forward the want of acceptance and hope that burns dimly. 

He wrapped his bleeding hand with a cloth, wondering if it was even worth trying to put himself through the pain of finding that answer out. He hates being venerable and he did not need the safety enchantments on himself. Harry's love and intents on his ring would be enough. He doesn't have to see her, he doesn't have to face her judgment or ask. It could wait until another time. After all, He still didn't feel like he was ready to face the Potter's. Harry sure as hell wasn't and he had reacted strongly to the date once he had mentioned it... 

Still, they were going through with this plan, and with things booked and starting to come together, there really was no turning back. Not that he really wanted to turn back, being with Harry was one of the most selfish things that he had ever chosen to do, but he knows that its a good thing for the both of them. In the tragedy that was both their lives, the ironic twist was that they had come to find happiness in each other, comfort in helping each other deal with all the misfortunes and unfairness. Love really was a stupid but wonderful thing. It didn't matter if others would not accept or understand it. 

He waved his hand and the mess that he created vanished. He summoned the ingredients again, determined to keep his mind focused on what needed to be done this time around.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It is my recommendation to read the shorts connected to the series under Death and Cats as I do make references to them during this and a few other chapters to come. It's not necessary, but I do recommend it if you are confused at any time. 
> 
> I will probably have the next chapter up in the next couple of days. I look forward to this plot unfolding. As you can say the plot continues to thicken in the next chapter!


	3. Enchanted

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Harry Talks to Severus and Tom tries to prepare himself for the Vote.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Woop this has been in the works awhile. Good to be posting for these two again.

“Tom if you stop now I’ll kill you.” Harry pants. Tom bit him at the collar, teeth raking gently against skin. Trailing a few kisses adding to the pleasure that Harry was feeling. His body was warm but when Tom did that there were goosebumps that always went up his arms. “I’m serious…” 

“You can’t kill me or you would miss out on this.” Tom nips his shoulder, pushing him further into the sofa. 

“Fuck, Tom.” Harry moaned softly. 

“That was the idea.” A sloppy kiss is shared between them. Tom’s grinning that stupid smug one that Harry both hates and loves. He is convinced though that he can kiss the other senseless and then he wouldn’t be looking quite that in control. It’s Harry’s job after all to make the other frustrated and lose control. 

Harry grunts tightening his hold on the other. Bringing their bodies closer, his button under shirt now feels too warm and constricting. He has his hands clenched on Tom’s shirt keeping him where he is. Tom trails his fingers down his sides. Clothes are now in the way, Tom’s pulling at his buttons and it would be easier to use magic but the digits traveling up his sides and spine... Godric. The tangle of fabric and the heat. It’s all part of the passion play and Tom no matter the form was passionate. It’s impossible not to want more. Harry pushes up against the other, feeling the other's arousal to him. Kissing him hard, slipping his tongue into his mouth and pulling back enough to suck on his lip. The action causes Tom to moan into him. Became flesh against him, trapping him there, as he moved to be on top of him. 

“You’re teasing me,” Tom mumbled against his ear. “I don’t think that’s wise.”

“And what are you going to do about it?” Harry asks in a husky whisper moving up to lick his earlobe. 

“Consummate our union early.” Tom grinds against him, brushing lightly a hand against his cheek. 

“You're getting sappy again.” Harry flushes but relaxes into that soft touch kissing at the fingers close enough to reach.

“You make me so.” Tom’s face softened. Not quite as controlling in his motions anymore. Not that Harry minds his softness, it's just sometimes the other seemed to forget that Harry didn’t exactly break with a little rough handling. In fact, he preferred the roughness. He wiggles his trapped hand free running it down the other's chest. 

“And hard in the right places,” Harry smirked, moving down to his hips. 

Tom’s face heats and he loses that wistful look in his eyes. It’s replaced with a strong desire. Which is what Harry is looking for. Perhaps that is manipulative of him, but he is part Slytherin after all. Just like Tom was a small bit Gryffindor, with the brave move he makes to devour him. 

~/*\~

The small house stands before him in all of its glory. Which isn’t much, there is a great deal of land hidden under the sparkling enchantments, enough space to grow ingredients that one would use in personal cooking or in potion-making. Beyond the glimmers, though there is old damage to the home. It is not nearly as well kept as someone would expect from someone so meticulous as Snape. But then again Severus had never cared much about appearances. 

The warm August sun beats down on him though it is not nearly as hot as that of Egypt it is still uncomfortable. In his pockets, he carries books on alchemy to return. They are all neatly shrunk and a protective case. He will not have it said that he damages things that have been lent to him, Tom, or rather to the both of them. 

Severus expects him. Harry had sent Hedwin last night with intent to have a meeting privately and return the books. Sevuers had written a two-sentence reply that did not sit well with him as it reminded him far too much of his detention slips and occlumency lessons. He takes a big breath. It's not going to be an easy conversation. It’s one that should have been had long ago that was swept under the rug with promises and vows never to be talked about in polite conversation. Harry knew that Severus knowing helped in some aspects. Things like dealing with Death, knowledge of subjects, and asking for small favors were certainly helped by this fact. He knows there is always a reluctant help or truce that is in place. 

Severus cares for him, it's obvious by his protective nature that surfaced greatly before the truth was known and even after. He can deny it, but Harry knows him he likes to think, well enough from the memories that he saw in his past life, and experience dealing with the man. He has been keeping tabs on them. Tom was convinced that it was purely to make sure that he doesn’t get out of line. Severus might not be able to directly rat them out or hurt them with the knowledge but he can leave clues for someone should they be determined enough to be able to solve. It wouldn’t be that hard a stretch to believe that Severus would do that if he felt that it was necessary and that Tom was slipping. The man’s friendship and closeness to Serius probably had a double benefit. Harry didn’t think anything less of him for it. He was Slytherin after all and the head of the house for a reason. He doesn’t like Tom, and if he had suspected that Tom had been Voldemort during the confrontation with Albus he was willing to put that aside to keep Harry safe.

This is not going to be an easy conversation. He knows that from the bottom of his soul. He is glad however that the other had accepted him over if nothing else to hear him out.

He knocks against the door, and Severus opens it and blocks the frame. He looked tired, but then the man always looked haggard.

"Good morning." Harry greets him and waits for the other to move to the side to let him in. The home is small, not set up quite like he would have expected though he supposes that one should never guess by how a person looks and dresses what their home would look like. Death was a pretty good example of that. Snape's house opened to a living room that looked much like Petunias but in better blue colors. the dining room looked to have been converted to a library surrounding a larger table. He wonders if the kitchen was turned into a potions lab.

Snape notices his gaze. "This house at one time was my parents."

Harry knows little of them, but what he does know he doesn't like. "Doesn't suit what I figured your decor would look like.” He offers. 

“Oh, and what was it supposed to look like?” Severus raises one thick brow, almost elegantly. 

“More dark and broody, more like the dungeon potions room.” Harry smiles, remembering his first life and the dinge of the dungeons. He sometimes misses Hogwarts and aspects of his first life, even if he wouldn’t change the love that he gets from Tom. Harry rather liked the other hunting him down for other reasons than trying to torture curse him. 

Snape almost looks like he wants to smile at that, his lip twitching. “And your home certainly looks like one that is harboring the Dark Lord.”

“It’s not supposed to look special or abnormal.” Harry sighs. “In my first life all that I wanted was to be normal, and I think that even with Tom’s flare to it. I have succeeded.”

Snape grunts like he disagrees in that regard but doesn’t say anything against it. 

“I did want to talk to you about Tom, besides returning your books to you.” Harry unshrinks the stack of books and hands them over to the other in the nice wrappings to protect them. “I fixed them up for you.” He adds as an afterthought as Severus takes the bundle from him and inspects his books. 

The older man looks to be satisfied with the improvements that Harry had made. His small smile doesn’t last long, at the thought of talking about Voldemort. “You can save whatever words that you are planning to say in his defense. I prefer not to hear them. I have heard his half apologies already.”

Harry does his best not to react to that. “Then I will not stay for tea and just make this quick. Tom and I are planning to get married. I have agreed. I know what horrors that he has done, and what he is capable of at his worst but I am extending the offer to the wedding to you regardless. I am asking you to respect my choice, even if you disapprove of it. We were not even close in my first life, but I value the times that you saved my life. I value your efforts to help Tom save me from Dumbledore. And I know that Tom in his own way appreciated your concealment when he was trapped in his madness.” 

“Obviously you don't understand what he is like at his worst, or you wouldn't have considered anything but ending him.” Snape puts the books onto the coffee table. Dust moves as a result of the action. “He has murdered and tortured at least a half a hundred people that I am aware of. That doesn't include those that acted on his orders.” 

“I believe I have mentioned that there is a shard of his soul inside of me that ruined my afterlife.” Harry smiles bitterly following the other with his eyes. “I come from a different time, a different life. I have seen him act savagely.” 

“So you just want him to ruin your current living one. I know the ‘Dark Lord’. I served him. I saw what he did including what he did to your own mother and father.” Snape spits at him. “The fact that you can overlook that can just forgive him, and trust him to be better than he was is native.” 

“I have seen it twice.” Harry cuts him off, closing his eyes for a moment. It's not something that he likes to think of, though it haunts him greatly. “I have seen them die, any time I had encountered a dementor I heard her screaming. In my first life, he came back and killed hundreds more. My friends and remains of my family by freeing some of his unhinged from Azkaban followers. He was even crazier and more malicious than you can even imagine. The only soul left of him dedicated to anger and power alone, he was relentless. A creature that was incapable of anything but smiting anything that remotely annoyed him. There was no mind left, the rot, and his choices spilled over to define everything he did. He was fearful, angry, and pitiable. The world that he created was far from his initial goals and plans. He wasn’t all there even in his first war, already slipping down the path before he even decided to take fate into his own hands and kill me.” 

“You foolish boy, then why would you ever bring him back?” Snape moves forward and looks to be considering placing a hand on his shoulder, his hand is raised yet he seems to have thought better of it. They are not close enough for that, not really. 

“At the time, I had just been killed.” Harry walked towards the fireplace, facing it instead of the other. “My wife to be Ginny Weasley had found out that I was a Horcrux and that Voldemort could come back through me. The remaining members of the order had received the news from Dumbledore and decided to kill me, ensuring that he could never come back through me.” He can hear the creak of floorboards and Severus is moving to sit down. Harry shifts his eyes away again and to the clock. “Death had informed me of my predicament. No matter the time nor place nor rebirth Tom Riddle would be attached to me. I hated the idea, it sickened me. I had seen the fragment in me before a baby withered and clinging to life, Dumbledore telling me that I could not save him. It is through that site that I could form some semblance of sympathy for a creature such as Voldemort. Not just pity that had always followed me knowing how he was raised similarly to me. 2 orphans, both despised by our muggle caregivers.” 

Severus knows about the Dursleys, though he has no idea the abuse that Harry has suffered. Severus knows what abuse is like. Harry knows that his father had done horrible things and his mother had stood by too damaged to perhaps comprehend what she had allowed, nor that she was magical and had a way out if she had wanted one. 

Harry took a deep breath. “I considered it, I considered it in the realm of the dead for a long time. The responsibility did not lay as much as it should on my shoulders. I did not feel like I owed the world anything after what it had done to me. What Dumbledore and the others had planned for me. Even you and your betrayal of my mother helped to lead to her death, and the compliance to go along with Dumbledore’s plan to have me die for the greater good, propelled me to not give a shit. I told myself after the deed was done. I would live the life I was meant to have. I would be happy.” 

If the potions master was bothered by the dig, and the bitterness in Harry’s tone He wisely did not comment on it. And it helps Harry to rain in his anger, something that living with Tom has taught him to do. Endless patience, and need to understand each other.

Harry shakes his head, if only those sorts of things were simple, easy to put into words. “I was not supposed to care about him. I was supposed to help him learn to have remorse and then get me selfish happy ending away from him and all the ties that come with his despicable actions.” Harry laughs softly, turning to face the other. “I was not supposed to fall in love with him. It was fast and is hard to describe. Tom is not Voldemort, he is sane for one. He knows what he did, he knows that his actions damned him thousands of times over. And I have come to forgive him just as I have forgiven all that have done things to me perhaps besides Umbridge.” 

“Perhaps I should make tea so that you can elaborate on this.” Severus states standing and disappearing into the kitchen. 

Harry takes relief sitting in one of the chairs, he trusts Severus not to place anything in his drink, and even if he did, there was not much good that it would do. Harry had ways to wandlessly check. He would however cut this conversation off and perhaps recommend that they don’t see each other again and to not drag Sirius into anything like making amends. 

“You forgave him how?” Severus sits not bothering to ask an easy question. “If you have seen a more apocalyptic world, know his actions, how can you stand him, even remotely enough to forgive him?” 

“It took years.” Harry folds his hands in his lap. “11 years of it, but I started to learn more things as I went. My feelings started to change. With time, I began to feel a sort of forgiveness toward a man that was a mass killer. Not for his horrid crimes, but for his flawed humanity. I wanted to keep hating him, but I could not. I didn't understand my own feelings, but I felt compelled to continue. I don’t know if there is an entity that’s sole job is to judge and forgive, but for now, here on earth, am I so wrong to feel this way, when I have power to help set someone free? Yes, that person has done inexcusable things, but what good would it do to keep punishing him for eternity for it. Especially when he is sorry for it, and was not in control of all his own actions.” 

Severus is watching him, expectantly, taken by him and what he was saying. The tea in his cup is not touched, it remains sitting in front of him. 

Harry sighed deeply, rubbing at his face. He is tired, these thoughts are never far from his mind, no matter how much he loves Tom. “I don’t think there is a good answer. Dumbledore nearly drove me out of my mind, interrogating me for this very same reason.” He lets that hang there a second before continuing. “Should I feel hatred and spite as I once did towards a brutal killer? Should I return to rehearse in my mind, again and again, the execution of this murderer, one I myself killed, and damned repeatedly and smile? Should I feel as people demand that I feel? Am I wrong for feeling forgiveness?”

Harry has to ask because he knows that perhaps he is crazy. He has known that for a while. He doesn’t know if he is seeking approval or acceptance. He doesn't think he is really advocating for Tom anymore, just trying to explain himself. Not even justify it nor excuse it. He doesn’t know past the surface what Voldemort put Severus through and that's enough, to know he won’t probably forgive Tom. But maybe he could be open to not looking like he wants to Smite him every time they encounter each other. 

Snape balances his head on his hands, that are tucked nicely under his chin. No, you are not completely wrong, though I would argue the nature of forgiveness. You are human, exquisitely human. It is the nature of empathy, to neutralize hatred. Though I do have to wonder if there is a point. Are there times when forgiveness has passed its threshold and become a sin? Where there is evil in our world that must be eradicated, without mercy, without looking back. Wizards are commanded to destroy the memory of Grindelwald, to stamp out any vestige of him. We cannot allow even the smallest bit of such a disease of thought and belief to enter the Wizarding World's bloodstream again. Lest it poisons us as well, lest we become its conspirators, inaction or in silence. Does Voldemort's rain enter this category? Can he really be forgiven, by those other than yourself? When he has helped to craft the disease of the mind about how traditions should be followed and Muggleborns are the enemy. ” 

Harry debates for a moment. “I can not say. Some perhaps through the actions he has already taken to atone for the damage he has done to them and people like them. Others would not forgive him, and what he has inspired and I can’t hate them for it. I just know that as I came to know him, a small part of realization entered me, and as I forgave myself for much of my guilt in the past life again and again. I began to forgive him as well. I asked Dumbledore if it was better to help him not to become the dark version I faced, and use his brilliance for good rather than condemn him to keep coming back more resentful and disparate than before and he gave a similar answer to you. That some can never be forgiven, nor can change.” 

Harry takes a long sip of his tea and the room is quiet and reflective. “I do not have to wake up with the guilt that Tom does every morning. I don’t have that sort of blood that lines my hands. He can remember it. After the whole thing with Dumbledore, Tom shut down for a long time, he is still coping with it I think. He shows signs of regressing to his self-destructive tendencies sometimes, at the mention of how he has hurt many like me deeply. I suppose I fell in love with the person he wants to become, what he is trying to do.” Harry gave a small sad smile. “That and he has never had unrealistic opinions of who I should be, what I need to do with my life. He has accepted me for what I am.”

“Then there can be no way to talk you out of it.” Severus warms his tea with his wand. “I will just ask you this one question, and I will while not forgiving him I will pose no complaint to your union. Do you think he has the capability to slip as you put it back into the Voldemort that we know, and is there any chance that he has manipulated you to reach the decision that he can be ‘good’ and sane?” 

“If he had the capability to be that monster again, I would end him myself.” 

Harry would probably join him. He can’t imagine a world where his Tom would become someone that tortured people for fun. He has learned to separate Voldemort the mad version, that was sick mentally, physically, and spritatully from the version that he spends all his time with. He knows that they are part of the same being, they both have the ability to be cruel and evil. But then Harry had the ability to be so as well. All people did really given the right pressures and circumstances. 

Severus seems to judge his words as fact. “I trust then, that you will do that.” 

“Tom will never make me,” Harry says with conviction. “He has asked for our wedding to be on the day that it is scheduled so that we can call my parents forth and he can apologize to them personally, and we can try to move past it with their blessing or without it.”

“He offered to do that for you?” The shock on Severus’s face is evident. 

“He suggested it for himself I think as well.” Harry doesn’t sugar coat it. “He is trying to fulfill his promise to me and remove the last shard. It's strange to think that we were perhaps close to that. He remains fearful that I will leave him after he has completed this task despite my assurances.” Harry isn’t sure where the honesty is coming from. Maybe it comes from the realization that Snape is the only one besides Death that he can talk to about these things. 

“He is scared you will leave him…” Severus mutters to himself and shakes his head. “How ridiculous.” 

“That a Dark Lord would worry about something like that? Or that I would leave him?” Harry raises his eyebrow. 

“Both.” Snape scratches at his head and at his temples. “If you cared enough to bring him back from hell, build him a body, and defeat Dumbledore then I doubt that there is any force great enough to take you away from him.”

“Or me him.” Harry clarifies. “He would leave if I asked him. Tom has told me as much, though I think he might destroy himself if I were to refuse him. He has grown quite attached to me.” 

“Evidently,” Snape says with no humor. “Are you sure that him tying himself to you now of all times, that you are close to getting the soul shard out isn’t an attempt to keep you?” 

“He is a Slytherin.” Harry chuckles. “He probably needs it for the reassurance, though we have been together for so long now that it doesn’t matter if we were tied with a piece of paper or another layer of magic.” 

“It still discomforts me, but I suppose his commitment to you and change is commendable.” Severus relents. “I am assuming that you are looking into vows, I would recommend one of honesty.”

“He is transparent if you know how to look.” Harry smiles, “I can tell when he lies to me and vice versa.”

“That makes me so confident in the relationship when you are lying to each other.” The potion master rolls his eyes. 

“To be fair it doesn’t happen very often and we're the types that are too stubborn to try and bring the other down by how we're feeling. Being open is very difficult. These last few weeks for instance have been very hard. The latest case that I was assigned is particularly sad. I have not wanted to ruin the wedding plans nor Tom’s preparation for the vote.” 

“Who not better to carry your worries to than your lover?” Harry can physically see the pain the other has in saying that. 

“It's not easy for me to open up, and since I have already been transparent. I was hoping to ask your opinion on this case.” 

“Am I the best person to ask?” Severus tilted his head, brow furrowing.

“I think you can understand having a parent that was in our world but wasn’t and one that was Muggle.”

Severus’s look sours further if that was even possible. He even with everything is open to listening, and so Harry tells Severus the tale of the little girl that a custody battle was coming up in a few days. He tells of how her mother was once married to a Death Eater, escaped that life, and had a child with a Muggle Man. The little girl with near white-blonde hair, silver-blue eyes, and the abuse that she has suffered. He nearly cries, describing how she would be a difficult place even if she was only 5. She was prone to fits, and magical tantrums, near-mute because of the things that happened to her. 

~/*\~

Tom taps his quill against the desk. Hermione glances up over her notes. “Marvolo do you mind?” 

He doesn’t apologize or answer her, he takes to tapping the feathered end instead. He can not concentrate. He has a billion things on his mind for this vote, and a thousand and one worries about Harry going over to Severus’s home. 

“Perhaps we should take a break.” Hermione offers. “It doesn’t seem like we are going to be making any headway when your mind is clearly somewhere else.” She folds her hands in front of herself, delicately and neatly. “So is there anything that I can help you with Mars?” 

Tom rubs at his face, putting slight pressure on his tired eyes. “It's just wedding planning Granger when this votes over, it will be easier to focus on that and then whatever comes up with elections.” 

Hermione smiles. “Harry does always have a way of distracting you, certainly you have most of the work taken care of. The place is booked, the foods ordered, and you both have robe fittings in a week. What worries you so?” 

‘Acceptance.’ His brain supplies, ‘and blessings from Harry’s parents among other things.’

“It silly worries.” Tom forces a smile waving his hand. “Just nerves over the act of the wedding, we both know I am committed to Harry.”

“He is all that you think of besides work.” Hermione chuckles. “I stand by what I said that you need to make friends and time to go out with them. It will help you to relax.” 

“That’s why I have you, Granger,” Tom smirks.

“The business lunches, and breaks that we share hardly count.” Hermione wagged a finger at him. “Though I am quite grateful and honored that you think of me as a friend.” 

“One to barrow a Muggle phrase should not call the kettle black.” Tom tilted his head. “I don’t see you going out all that much.” 

Her face turns a little red. “Ah well, I have been trying to date recently.” She sheepishly answers. “It's not exactly easy with my packed schedule.”

Tom raised an eyebrow, sensing a way out of talking about his own problems. “Is this your way of asking for fewer hours? I would hate to break it to you that you are the one that pushes herself off the clock.” 

“You do the same.” Hermione countered, her hair puffing a little, though she is anything but angry. They understand each other. 

“Yes and Harry drags me away from whatever I am pouring over. You know how obsessive I can be.”

“You're the one that said it, not me.” Hermione covered her mouth as she laughed. “It’s good that you are self-aware.” 

~/*\~

Tom came home early particularly because he wanted to have the chance to talk with Harry about attending the vote. It would be a lot easier if Harry was there, he could lock eyes with him if Tom needed to calm down. Just having the other there was a good reminder not to let his feelings about things get into the way. He knew that he was going to become quite heated when he had to face off against Lucius. The man was no longer intimidated by Tom. He had decided as well as a few others, that Tom was an obstacle in their way and a servant of the light. He had heard what they had to say about his alignment and the apparent brainwashing at the hands of Potter. 

His alignment was in the middle if anything. Tom would never be that sickeningly inclusive, nor tarnish the old ways. Rituals and the old religions were important. If anything knowing about the God of Death himself had prompted Tom to want to preserve their history. His offer was supposed to help ensure this. Even if Purebloods hated the idea of funding and teaching early in Muggleborns about their culture and integrating them young. 

He loosened his tie and changed in the bedroom, breathing deeply, this is not exactly where he had seen his life going. He felt the ring on his finger, the one that Harry had made for him. The dark green stone surrounded with diamonds, carved into a silver band. It was comforting, as much as the locket that laid against his chest. Even if it is empty of his soul, it's another reminder of his promise. His promise to be better than what he was. He would be lying if there wasn’t a temptation to curse some of the board members, especially that Umbridge. He would love to kill her quite brutally, or arrange it so that she had a bad accident. 

She was there every step of the way to put blockers into his plans. She and her need to see all Magical Creatures as inferior beings. Yes some of them were. He did not care for Harry’s fondness for Hagrid. But even if they were less than wizards, even if they were not nearly as adept, did not mean that they should be oppressed. If they messed too much more with Goblins they would have yet another revolt on their hands again, and that did not even account for the regulations that she was pressing down on Centaurs and Merpeople. He did not care for her comments on his love for Muggles, as if he considered them pets. 

Tom hated Muggles, he just knew what they were capable of. He knew the threat that laid in waiting should there ever be a reason for them to start attacking Wizard kind. He would keep the ‘pets’ inline if that was what the Pureblood houses wanted to sneer at him if it meant that they would survive the next war that Muggles decided to rage against each other. There certainly were pressures in the Middle East rising, that America seemed to have an issue with. Terrorists and WarLords rising in Africa. Tom kept up with it all, ready if need be to become a force again to shove the tide back in their favor. 

It's thankless because no matter what he does he seems to piss someone off. It is why he will never be a minister. It's easier to play from the sidelines, give pressure to Fudge where it counts. It does look though that the candidates for the upcoming election were Shacklebolt and Fudge for reelection. It would be that man’s 4th term. Tom isn’t sure how to feel about the prospects. He knew that Shacklebolt was most likely to agree with the policies that Tom was advocating for and weed out corruption. But he also knew of the bias the other held for anyone that was connected to Death Eaters and Tom regardless of his works would always be in the shadow of his former self. 

Tom sits down to listen to the news through the radio. 

Harry exits the fireplace soon after he has gotten comfortable. Tom stands to greet him, pulling him into a tight hug.

“I am covered in soot.” Harry laughs. “I am going to get you all dirty.” 

“Doesn’t matter.” Tom buries his head into the other's hair. Harry then hugs him back. 

“Don’t blame me if you need to change.” Harry nuzzled in. 

Tom lets Harry shower before talking with him about his day, and Harry confirms for him that he did have a long talk with Severus. It went about as well as Tom had expected, but he is pleasantly surprised that his former servant was willing not to voice his opposition to the wedding anymore. There could be hope the other came around eventually. Harry then told him a little about his latest case and why he had been acting a bit distant lately. 

“I have to go to the court Wednesday with my option on the matter. I plan on meeting her tomorrow.” Harry said softly. “She has been through a lot Tom. I just want to make sure I do right by her.” 

Tom can understand to an extent Harry’s compassionate heart. He hugs him closer to him and gives his shoulder a tight squeeze. “You will help her, just like the others. Even if she might be difficult to place.” 

Harry nods yawning. “I love you.” He melts into him. That word is still as magical as the first time that he had heard it. No one had truly meant it the way that Harry had. 

“I love you more.” Tom hummed. 

“It's not a competition but I think I love you most.” Harry leans up and kisses him softly on his lips. 

Tom captures his lips again and deepens the kiss. “Not a competition.” He smirks as he pulls away. 

“No.” Harry agrees. “Though I think that was cheating all things considered.” 

“Dark Lords don’t play fair.” Tom creeps his fingers up Harry’s more ticklish side. 

Harry laughs, knocking him over onto the mattress, pushing lightly against his shoulders. Harry’s damp hair glistens in the lighting, those beautiful green eyes look into his. “Neither do Champions of the Light.” 

Tom isn't going to argue with him. He quite likes it when they can play dirty 'tricks' on each other.

**Author's Note:**

> Comments, Feedback, Questions, and kudos are always welcome and appreciated :D


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